BIOMASS
Biomass is the organic matter in trees,
agricultural crops and other living plant material. It is made up of
carbohydrates — organic compounds that are formed in growing plant life. Ever
since the earliest inhabitants of the region burned wood in their campfires for
heat, biomass has been a source of energy for meeting human .
Biomass is solar energy stored in organic matter. As trees and plants grow, the
process of photosynthesis uses energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide
into carbohydrates (sugars, starches and cellulose). Carbohydrates are the
organic compounds that make up biomass. When plants die, the process of decay
releases the energy stored in carbohydrates and discharges carbon dioxide back
into the atmosphere. Biomass is a renewable energy source because the growth of
new plants and trees replenishes the supply.
Over millions of years, natural processes in the earth transformed organic
matter into today’s fossil fuels: oil, natural gas and coal. Fossil fuels are
not renewable. The oil, natural gas and coal we use today are gone forever.
he use of biomass for energy causes
no net increase in carbon dioxide
emissions to the atmosphere. As trees and plants grow, they remove carbon from
the atmosphere through photosynthesis. If the amount of new biomass growth
balances the biomass used for energy, bioenergy is carbon dioxide
"neutral." That is, the use of biomass for energy does not increase
carbon dioxide emissions and does not contribute to the risk of global climate
change. In addition, using biomass to produce energy is often a way to dispose
of waste materials that otherwise would create environmental risks.
Living plant material is the source of all biomass fuel. Some biomass fuel
resources are waste products left over after plant materials have been used for
other purposes or consumed by animals. Other biomass resources are plant
materials directly harvested for their energy value. Biomass fuels are readily
available throughout the world. India’s
biomass resources include wood, agricultural crop residue and organic waste.
However, competing uses and the
cost of
collection and transportation limit the amount that is available for energy
production. Only one-third of the total biomass fuel generated annually may be
economically available for electric power production in the region.
The production of heat for industrial processes and for residential and
commercial space heating consumes the largest amount of biomass fuel in Oregon. Wood products
industries burn wood chips, bark and wood waste to supply heat for industrial
processes. Some mills use biomass fuel to generate electricity for on-site
uses. Pulp mills burn the residual fiber and lignin components of spent pulping
liquor to recover and recycle pulping chemicals and to generate steam. Pellets
and fuel logs manufactured in India
and firewood collected from Indian forests supply heat to homes
Key critical instrument
for the success of
exploitation of Biomass as Potential Energy.
·
Grass root level NGOs or SHGs can play a vital role
in this regard,
in the collection, organisation and management of local biomass wastes.
·
Associations of agro-processing industries and demand
side
industries (potential users) can help in matching the demand supply and help in
recycling waste both in the form of energy and material.
·
Agencies like municipalities, small-scale industrial
departments,
technology development boards, and pollution control boards, etc., could play
instrumental roles in promoting such endeavours.
·
Entrepreneurs could be the link for collection, utilisation
and
management of waste utilisation plants.
In many agro-processing industries
such as
sago, rubber, and coffee, distilleries, paper pulp mills, and many other
industries, a large amount of effluent is generated in processing and is
presently disposed of in the field causing air, water, and soil pollution.
Substantial portions are burnt, thereby not only destroying this precious
renewable energy source but also causing pollution, e.g., sugarcane stalks and
leafy waste that are left in the field after harvesting are burnt causing a lot
of air pollution. Environment and socio-economic conditions. Present disposal
and utilisation of available biomass waste causes pollution resulting in health
hazards that could be reduced drastically through useful utilization and
recycling of such waste.
All these biomass wastes and
effluents in
principle have renewable energy potential and potential for
utilisation in an eco-friendly way. If this material can be recycled locally to
provide energy, or value added products, it can go a long way not only in
alleviating environmental Estimates of the power generation potential of some
industrial wastes
Assess the availability of local
biomass waste as
a resource,
Assess potential demand where
it can be
utilised, and
Identify technological options
that would
be technically and-economically feasibility
